Think of patient satisfaction like a Yelp review. With technology and social media at everyone's fingertips, patients can easily look up how your facility and surgeons stack up against the competition when they're deciding where to go for care. If you want to wow patients and ensure they post positive reviews when they leave your facility, pay close attention to their needs as soon as they schedule procedures.

Most patients want to talk to an expert who can answer their questions and concerns before and after surgery. That's why many facilities are delegating a member of their staff to be the point person for patient communication. Greg DeConciliis, PA-C, CACS, a physician assistant and administrator at Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites in Waltham, Mass., says his facility is utilizing a patient navigator for all of its total joint cases. "This individual is a point of contact for patients pre- and post-operatively, and handles their concerns efficiently, which maintains patient satisfaction at a high level," says Mr. DeConciliis.

Patients who are scheduled to undergo colorectal procedures at Stamford (Conn.) Hospital are contacted immediately and placed in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway, a series of multimodal protocols designed to improve post-op outcomes. Marilyn Cristina Erive, BSN, RN, CNOR, team leader of general and colorectal surgery at Stamford, says a patient once returned for repair of an incisional hernia — the often unavoidable result of emergency surgery — because of the quality of care she received the first time around. "The patient said our team was amazing," says Ms. Erive. "She never experienced pain, there was no infection, there were no complications — that's why she came back."

Patients are also are expecting to connect with technology that keeps them in the loop throughout their entire episode of care. For that reason, increasing numbers of facilities are using communication apps to connect with patients — and for good reason. "There are many platforms that complete the patient navigator duties," says Mr. DeConciliis. "I envision these apps being the future of care by touching base with patients at a moment's notice, and therefore keeping their satisfaction very high," says Mr. DeConciliis.

Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites is currently utilizing communication apps for its total joints program. Patients receive automated messages and reminders about the next step in their care leading up to their procedures. "The app directs patients to comply with pre-op care directives, which increases the likelihood of successful outcomes and ensures patients are happy with their care," says Mr. DeConciliis.

Ochsner Medical Complex — The Grove, a state-of-the-art clinic and surgery center that opened last year in Baton Rouge, La., has a wide range of features that improve the patient experience from the minute they walk in the door. "The O Bar at the front entrance is where patients get help with installing apps on their phones," says Louis Jeansonne, MD, chief medical information officer for the facility. "There are thousands of medical apps, so we have a team that curates the ones that we recommend."

Patients can test drive more than 100 apps that focus on wellness, nutrition, fitness, diabetes management and smoking cessation. The interactive community resource engages patients in technology and tools to improve their health and well-being.

Dr. Jeansonne says patient communication apps come in handy, especially during the pandemic. Mobile check-ins at the center have become more popular than ever thanks to a quick download of an app, which alerts the staff that patients have arrived and automatically checks them in. "If the patient does not have the app on their phone, however, a phone number is posted at every parking spot that they can call and check in from their car in the parking lot," says Dr. Jeansonne.

Patients who feel nauseous or experience excruciating pain after surgery likely won't think back fondly to their surgical experience, no matter how well the surgery went.

Anesthesia providers at Stamford Hospital place transverse abdominis ?plane ?(TAP) ?blocks to help manage the post-op pain of abdominal surgery patients without relying on high doses of opioids. Patients wake up from surgery without feeling dizzy and can ambulate sooner and easier, which increases blood flow and helps the bowel and digestive systems return to function sooner. "Patients therefore eat nearly immediately after surgery, which helps to improve the pace of their recoveries and allows them to be discharged sooner and in less pain — factors that improve their overall satisfaction with surgery," says Ms. Erive.

Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites utilizes regional blocks on all shoulder procedures and all larger knee procedures, such as osteotomies and arthroplasties. "Our anesthesiologists perform adductor canal blocks and selective tibial nerve blocks," says Mr. DeConciliis. "They choose the best regional block for the procedure."

By utilizing regional blocks routinely, Mr. DeConciliis says the center's anesthesiologists cut down drastically on the use of intraoperative opioids. "This causes less PONV, and ensures patients have minimal pain post-operatively and therefore need fewer oral narcotics," he says. "Our surgeons will also typically inject local anesthesia directly into the tissue surrounding the surgical site to help control pain and improve the overall post-op experience."

Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites has loosened some of its NPO restrictions, which now allow for some early morning light food and drink before cases scheduled later in the day. Patients are also asked to arrive earlier for their surgeries to ensure they're well hydrated, which has improved their overall experience.

Staff at Eye 35 ASC in Schertz, Texas, know that nausea and vomiting caused by a reaction to anesthesia is something all patients worry about, so they do everything they can to prevent it. "We ask all of our patients if they have had any issues with sedation or pain meds in the past," says Carson McCafferty, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM, CSRN, the center's clinical director.

The facility also utilizes electronic records, which alert the staff if someone is prone to nausea or vomiting. "This has helped us with patients who come back for another procedure," explains Ms. McCafferty. "We're immediately aware that they experienced nausea the last time they were in so we can come up with a more successful plan of attack to prevent it from happening again." For example, patients who tend to suffer from car sickness or who have dealt with nausea from previous procedures are premedicated with ondansetron.

The emphasis on compassionate communication goes a long way with patients. Eye 35 ASC treats a lot of older individuals who are often nervous before their procedures. "I had a patient who wanted to pray before her procedure, so we did," says Ms. McCafferty. "We will hold hands and make sure patients know we're going to take good care of them. We tell the same bad jokes to all our patients, but they love them."

The center's staff also waits to position patients until right before their eye procedures, something they truly appreciate. "We leave them at about a 30-degree angle, so we can still administer drops, and we put a pillow under their knees to help alleviate pressure on their back," says Ms. McCafferty. "Waiting until right before their procedure to lay them flat reduces their anxiety."

Today's patient has come to expect and appreciate the personal, hands-on approach and will do their research to find a facility that best suits their needs. "Outpatient facilities in general have a distinct advantage in terms of making a patient feel well-cared for," says Mr. DeConciliis. "Because we're smaller in size and scope, with less patients, our nursing teams can be at a patient's side more frequently and listen to what they want and need. It's important to encourage this type of patient feedback, and make changes as needed to improve your systems and practices." OSM